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The Lakeside Skillet at Harveys Lake has a nautical themed dining room.

Vacationers at Harveys Lake will have a new dining option this summer at the Lakeside Skillet.

The restaurant is expanding this year with the debut of Fish Tales Bar & Grill at the Benjamin Harvey Inn. The bar will be open this summer, just in time for the restaurant's most hectic season, said owner Melissa Evans-Shaver.

"People start coming home in March. By April, the snowbirds start coming back. And a lot of people live here year-round," she said. "By far, summer is our busiest season."

True to its location, the interior of the Lakeside Skillet honors the history of the once-bustling vacation spot. Images of Harveys Lake scanned from antique postcards adorn the walls, amid wooden anchors and turtles.

Model sailboats line a ledge between the kitchen and the dining room. The teal carpet bears a pattern of life preservers and ropes, tying the nautical theme together. A fireplace remains in perfect condition from the restaurant that stood on the property in the 1920s.

"My grandmother used to ride that," she said. "My dad had a boathouse at the lake. I spent many summers out here myself."

A customer who collected Harveys Lake postcards offered them to Evans-Shaver, several of which had gone through the mail. She hopes to use the written messages describing boating or swimming at the lake to decorate the new bar.

Sticking to a lake theme without delving into the world of seaside decor can be difficult, but Fish Tales Bar & Grill will boast a custom made carpet depicting trout, pinecones and other flora and fauna found near lakes. Those sitting on the bar stools will be resting on yacht seats, with fish tail backs.

The restaurant serves breakfast dishes - like a broccoli and swiss frittata or french toast stuffed with banana slices - until 4 p.m., when dinner begins. Lunch starts at 11 a.m. with burgers, wraps and sandwich options.

"We do a lot of fresh fruit in the summer," Evans-Shaver added.

The lunch and dinner menu offer a range of options, from steaks to pastas, with a sizable seafood selection. The Australian white bass, charbroiled in a soy sesame glaze, is a popular selection, Evans-Shaver said.

"We make a killer seafood chowder," she said, adding vegetarian dishes are also available.

Romayne's Ballroom is also available for parties, weddings and sweet sixteen parties - the latter has grown in popularity recently, Evans-Shaver said.

Along with her family, Evans-Shaver also owns Red Rooster restaurant in Pikes Creek and Mel Roe's Family Restaurant in Berwick.

kgaydos@citizensvoice.com, 570-821-2118Lakeside Skillet

Location: Pole 279, Harveys Lake

Contact: 570-639-3474

Hours: Open seven days a week, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

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